Writer of Comedy Writings

Part 1 is an explanation of how the Enneagram works. Part 2 will explain how to use it in your writing.

Quite simply, the Enneagram is a neat little way of categorising your characters by their psychology.

According to Enneagram theory, everybody falls into one of nine character types and each character type exhibits certain behaviours, based on what drives them. For some it’s the need to put things in order, for others it’s the need to be in control, or be original, or be helpful.

As a writer, I use the Enneagram a lot.

Here are the character types, along with a brief description:

The Reformer or Perfectionist – who likes to see things in order.

The Helper or Giver – who likes to assist others and receive love.

The Achiever or Performer – who likes to win.

The Individualist or Romantic – who dreams and likes to be original.

The Investigator or Observer – who likes to know everything going on.

The Loyalist or Skeptic – who needs to trust and be trusted.

The Enthusiast or Epicure – who loves to indulge in everything life has to offer.

The Challenger or Protector – who craves security and control.

The Peacemaker or Mediator – who brings harmony to situations.

It’s easy to see how having a relatively short list of potential character types immediately creates a range of characters who all have different goals and desires – which opens the door to a wide variety of conflicts, much more subtle than simply good guys versus bad.

More of this in part 2…

Additionally the Enneagram describes some key traits of each type:

HOLY IDEA – what the character truly believes in. Where their moral compass firmly points.

EGO FIXATION – when they’re at their most selfish, they’re here.

BASIC DESIRE – what they really want on a psychological level

BASIC FEAR – what this type of person hates and takes great pains to avoid.

TEMPTATION – what is the characters compulsive behaviour. What they revert to under pressure.

VIRTUE – what redeeming behaviour this character has learnt. What they’re capable of at their best.

VICE – what they’re up to at their worst. What foul habits they have.

Again it can really help to build a character from being mostly driven by one particular aspect of their personality. It comes to define them and drive.

The traits a character displays are all related and form a consistency that makes it easy to build up an image of a particular type that is easily accessible.

Perhaps you’d like to try to work out which type you, or some of your (favourite) characters are!

To summarise the various traits of the types I’ve grabbed this little table. All of this, and descriptions are available in the App.

Type

Ego Fixation

Holy Idea

Basic Fear

Basic Desire

Temptation

Vice

Virtue

Reformer

Resentment

Perfection

Evilness

Goodness

Hypocrisy

Anger

Right Thing

Helper

Flattery

Freedom

Being Unloved

Unconditional Love

Manipulativeness

Vainglory

Altruism

Achiever

Vanity

Hope

Worthlessness

Value

Pleasing Everybody

Deceit

Truthfulness

Individualist

Melancholy

Origin

Commonness

Originality

Self-blame

Envy

Equanimity

Investigator

Stinginess

Omniscience

Uselessness

Competency

Overthinking

Greed

Detachment

Loyalist

Cowardice

Faith

Vulnerability

Safety

Suspicion

Fear

Courage

Enthusiast

Planning

Work

Boredom

Experience

Rashness

Gluttony

Sobriety

Challenger

Vengeance

Truth

Loss of Control

Self-Protection

Rejecting Help

Lust

Magnanimity

Peacemaker

Indolence

Love

Loss

Peace of Mind

Submission

Indifference

Serenity

Click to go through to the App store

If you’d like to have a pocket guide to carry around with you, then please check out the App

And, in case I haven’t laboured the point enough already… more on how to use the Enneagram in part 2! (which is coming soon)